Kapakahi spreading “urban aloha”

Fusion music — from old-school hapa haole songs to the newer “Jawaiian” tunes — seems a natural for modern, multicultural Hawai’i (even if Jamaica isn’t exactly known for sending immigrants to the Pacific.)

San Francisco’s Kapakahi is expanding its “urban aloha” with five new songs and three additional bandmates.

And Mainland bands with roots in Hawai’i may feel even freer to get into genre mash-ups. Witness San Francisco-based Kapakahi, whose lead singer and guitarist Mike Dayao hails from Honolulu and whose highly danceable sound draws on pop, ska, reggae, hip-hop and funk.

Calling its highly danceable sound “urban aloha,” the multiethnic combo released its debut album “Twisted, Bent and Confused” (which happen to be some of the English definitions of kapakahi) in 2006, but “Light Up,” the name of its well-received 2009 EP, is a better indicator of what Kapakahi will do tonight at Slim’s in San Francisco when it kicks off a California mini-tour. The high-eneryg band will debut five new songs and introduce new members on horns and keyboards. (I’m thinking Sublime meets Mighty Mighty Bosstones — but check out Kapakahi’s MySpace page for free MP3s or the video below to hear for yourself.)

Kapakahi will also join Rebel Souljahz on an Aloha Friday bill Feb. 5 at Avalon in Santa Clara, with Vintage Music Collective and special guests DJ Nappy and Chubbs; tickets to the 21-and-over show are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Other upcoming gigs include Feb. 19 in San Luis Obispo (Downtown Brew), Feb. 20 in Santa Barbara (Sand Bar) and May 2 in Pismo Beach (Cliffs Resort). And on Feb. 28, Dayao will join two other songwriters in an acoustic showcase in the lounge of Yoshi’s San Francisco; tickets are $5.

Looking for traditional Hawaiian music? Slack-key favorite Led Kaapana continues his sweep through Northern California tonight and tomorrow night, before heading to the third annual Southern California Slack Key Festival Sunday, Jan. 24, in Redondo Beach. (The festival boasts a hui of Hawai’i’s top talent, including Makana, Jeff Peterson, John Cruz and Cyril Pahinui.) Kaapana’s remaining gigs up here: